Film Analysis: The Greatest Showman
Janna T. Billona
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
Abstract
This paper is an examination of the film the greatest showman. Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon
wrote the film. This was also directed by Michael Gracey as his directorial debut, to tell the
story of how individual people with different personality comes together to make difference. For
them to be seen and heard. The film is musical focused on the influence of a man who founded a
circus that existed in 1800s and his journey of becoming successful leading for him to have a
selfish interest that leads him into distraction. This film analysis discuss how this movie can be
interpreted today’s event specifically the diversity that can be seen throughout the movie.
The title of the movie is “The Greatest Showman”. Its author is Jenny Bricks and Bill
Condon which is directed by Michael Gracey. It was Premiered on December 8, 2017 aboard RMS
Queen Mary 2 and was release on December 20, 2017 by 20th Century Fox in the United States
seven months after the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus closed its doors.
The delight and inspiration that come from watching a film is what makes it valuable. People were
to be entertained, given hope in life, or shown the mirrors of their own lives by watching the movie,
which is one of the best tools available. Through musical play and dance, the film celebrates
resiliency and the belief that no dream is impossible.
The Greatest Showman is a unique musical that tells the story of a visionary who rose from the
ashes to build a fantastic show that became a worldwide success despite all of the problems he
encountered. Through strong song and dance, it promotes inclusivity and the belief that no
ambition is unachievable, as well as demonstrating generosity and teaching people to focus on
what counts.
The film is a musical that focused on a man who founded a circus. It wasn't your typical
circus, but it was a product of Phineas Taylor Barnum's (P.T. Barnum's) imagination. Barnum, T.
Despite the fact that he was an orphan with nothing in his pocket, he is so generous. His mind is
brimming with new thoughts and imaginings. Barnum was a young boy living in the 1800's who
is working with his tailor father Philo. A female lead named Charity, the daughter of Mr. Hallet,
became friends with Barnum and eventually developed a close bond. They kept on writing each
other a letter and as soon as they are adults, Barnum decided to propose to Charity. He works for
a trade company until his supervisor informs everyone that the company is going bankrupt and the
company will be shut down. Bringing a spinning lamp, or "wishing machine," for Caroline's
birthday, Barnum travels home to Charity and their children Caroline and Helen. They all made a
wish and he came up with a plan. He applied for a bank loan and because he believes people are
captivated by peculiarities, he used the money to build a museum dedicated to them. Unfortunately,
the museum isn't getting any visitors, and the majority of people aren't buying it. After that, he
goes out and about looking for people who are different. He manages to convince them all to put
on a musical number of shows that win over crowds every night, despite being initially seen as
oddities.
The circus is focused on the unique, remarkable talents as well as the previously unhear of live
acts. As the circus began to generate a substantial earning, their lives have been changed
completely from rags to rich. Despite that, his daughter began to lose interest in dancing because
the other girls mock her for being a member of a circus family. Eventually, the troupe is invited to
England to meet Queen Victoria wherein they met opera singer Jenny Lind and invited her to be
part of the show so she would become known worldwide. The show was a success, Barnum and
the others throw a party after Jenny's performance, but when the rest of the company wants to join
them, Barnum refuses. Despite their initial sadness, the group decides not to let it get them down,
and instead embraces who they are, regardless of how others perceive them. He was more focused
on Jenny, leaving the others behind and because of that the later became attracted to him as he
remained loyal to Charity. She becomes enraged and threatens to abandon the tour, but Barnum
insists that she finish it. Jenny kisses him after one performance, and the press snaps a photo of
her before she walks out. Meanwhile, Phillip was in charge of managing the circus while Barnum
was away. Lot of protesters continuously gather outside the museum which eventually caused a
great chaos setting the theatre ablaze. Seeing what happened to the theatre, Barnum felt devastated
not to mention that the photo of him and Jenny kissing is all over the news. As soon as he went
home, he saw his wife Charity and their daughter packed their bags because the bank is evicting
them.
Barnum walks to a pub to get a drink. He is discovered and confronted by the entire troupe. While
he may not always have done the right thing, he regarded them all as more than freaks and provided
them a real family and home, according to one of them. He is encouraged to pick himself up and
help the troupe get back on stage. Barnum apologizes to Charity for her obsession with fame, and
she says all she wanted was the man she fell in love with. He restarts the act under a tent with the
rest of the crew and circus animals. In order to spend more time with his girls, Barnum decides to
transfer the ringmaster duties to Phillip. After watching their daughter perform in a ballet with
Helen as a tree, he began to realize that he has everything he's ever desired and needed right in
front of him.
The film was unique, original, exciting, interesting and well written. The settings of the
movie is during the 1800's but it is resonance with today's society is quite anticipating. Songs
were placed purposedly which moved along with the plot and high-quality musical numbers were
a great contributor in making it more interesting to watch. The title clearly reflects the whole film
being the greatest show. The introduction or the opening number, musicals like all excellent
openers, gives us a hint as to how the remainder of the film will unfold. However, there has been
criticism of the movie The Greatest Showman because P.T. Barnum is shown as a legend rather
than a historical individual. P.T. Barnum was a scam artist who profited on the exploits of people
who were crippled or not. When one examines the real-life story of Barnum's, it is clear that he
was not "the greatest showman" and that he hasn’t done any "great" impact on human lives.
Barnum, for example, hired an ancient slave named Joice Heth early in his career to portray her as
George Washington's reportedly 161-year-old nurse. Barnum arranged a public autopsy after she
died, charging people 50 cents to witness it, making as much money from her death as he did from
her life. In 'The Greatest Showman,' the stories of people he used have either been deleted or
distorted to allow the viewer to sympathize with Barnum. His life used as a backdrop in the film
to convey a message of acceptance and inclusion, which contradicts historical reality.
The Greatest Showman is a musical, romance, and drama film that tells a basic story in a way that
is both sophisticated and extravagant. It is as illogical as a dream, yet it leaves you with a vague
feeling that the viewers have just seen something fantastic. In addition to that, it develops a barebones plot by stringing together a number of breathtaking musical set pieces. P.T. Barnum's
character in The Greatest Showman was not examined closely. Because it delivered on its promise
of a traditional rags-to-riches story, with a deeply relatable underdog facing up against the wealthy
and wicked elite, audiences adored Barnum's show. It is a family-friendly PG-13 film with a
positive message of empowerment and a vividly colored, popular style that reflects the subject
matter. Dance choreography combines Broadway and vintage Hollywood musical dance with
today's popular modern and contemporary choreography. The film also included some aerial arts
and acrobatics. The movement of the characters was elegant, but with a modern twist. The Greatest
Showman is a mix of nostalgia and modernism for a generation of fans who grew up watching
shows like "Glee" and seeing Disney films like Mulan, Pocahontas, The Little Mermaid and the
likes.
This film may be categorize as a musical-movie, which tells everything using a soundtrack, which
makes it unforgettable and easy to remember. Each song in the film plays a huge role in making
the viewers feel like they have been part of the movie. The author was able to grab the attention of
the audience and inspire them to face their fears head on and pursue their ambitions with
confidence. The film is clearly relatable as it is a conflict between a man and himself. Barnum was
blinded by fame and money but luckily, he was able to become aware of his wrong doings and
decided to strive harder to make a difference. Some fans have reacted strongly to the storyline of
the movie that contradicts the character's real-life story. In this regard, the film was a hit for being
controversial since it changed the audience's expectations, causing others to want to see it as well.
In today's generation, where most teenagers and adults have struggled to embrace themselves and
all their uncertainties, including performers deemed by most of society to be misfits is significant.
PT Barnum, the main character in the film, had his first challenge in the form of a man versus man.
The father of Charity, opposes their unrequited love. Despite their shared affections for each other,
Barnum is determined to prove his worth to Charity's father by becoming even wealthier than her
father. As a result, he continues to believe that money is the only way to acquire the respect he
seeks. Barnum developed a circus starring talented "freaks" who didn't fit in with society, and this
is where the next struggle between a man and society began. The circus's ongoing freak
performance has been derided by newspaper commentators. Barnum is making money from his
freak show despite the criticism, but he still doesn't get the respect he deserves from Charity's
father or this newspaper critic. Despite the fact that he already had fame, money, and Charity's
affection, he was not satisfied. Now there's a battle between man and himself. He wants to be
respected for who he is, but he doesn't know how to get it. He had the choice to be a nice person
who earns the respect of people by being kind and generous to them or he can use his appearance
to earn more wealth and fame, as well as gain respect. PT Barnum must choose between the two
as if he is in this tug-of-war. At first, he chose to be under the power of money and fame, which
did not do him any good. Later on, when things fall apart one by one, the circus, the troupe of
freaks, the money, fame and luxury and most importantly his wife and family, he realizes that
everything was right in front of him. Barnum decided to focus on what matters most and this is
how all of the conflicts have been resolved. The problem encountered is somehow easy to resolve
making it look a bit cliché.
This film's purpose is to persuade and appeal to its viewers using ethos, pathos, and logos. By
showcasing PT Barnum's good character from the start of the story, it quickly captivated the
viewers' emotions and gained their trust by demonstrating the challenges that he had faced in life,
it was able to gain the viewers' trust. Emotional responses have been created by the use of
emotional points and issues, as well as analogies and metaphors that link concepts to something
that the viewers are already familiar with and feel passionately about. Emotionally charged, vivid,
and sensual language were also employed by the characters, allowing the spectator to feel the
movie's mood.
References
Mcguire, K. (2021, October 18). Why critics hated the greatest showman (and why they're wrong).
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Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, February 2). The greatest showman. Wikipedia. Retrieved
February 3, 2022, from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greatest_Showman
Wilkins, A. (2018, March 12). How the greatest showman rewrote the stars to become a monster
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